Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person shooter game still in early access. However, this roguelike sequel to the original Risk of Rain is garnering popularity in these early stages thanks to its unforgiving, yet fun, gameplay loop and its four-player cooperative mode. As of this writing, there are six characters available for players to control, each with different attributes that make it more suited for different sorts of play-styles.

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These characters can be unlocked through various in-game achievements that ramp up in difficulty. Before more playable characters are released for this early-access darling of a game, be sure to brush up on everything you need to know about the six characters already at your disposal. Read on if you want to learn how to get these characters and how to use them.

6 Commando

The Commando is the first character you get when you start playing Risk of Rain 2. He is the default character, but that does not mean you cannot use him effectively in later stages of the game. The best way to use the Commando is the vanilla way: run around and shoot things. All of his abilities help ease players into the gameplay of Risk of Rain 2. 

The Commando comes complete with a Phase Round that deals extra damage and can pierce through multiple enemies at the same time. The cooldown for this ability is extremely low, so do not hesitate to use it more than once. Suppressive Fire is another ability the Commando possesses, but this one works better at close range. You can use it for crowd control and against large enemies. The Commando can also perform a Tactical Dive that allows him to roll away from a fight while briefly becoming invulnerable.

Since the Commando is an easily accessible and balanced character, all items work in boosting his performance.

5 Huntress

The Huntress is the queen of mobility. Her strong suits are dodging enemy attacks and firing from afar, which makes her a welcome addition toward the later stages of the game. In order to acquire the Huntress, all a player has to do is survive three teleporter events without getting downed. It sounds straightforward enough, but it's easier in theory than it is in practice.

Once you have the Huntress unlocked, you will find that her abilities are vastly different from the Commando's. Where the Commando is well-rounded, the Huntress is a more nuanced character. She begins the game very delicate, with only 90 hit points at the start. But she makes up for being a glass cannon with her high mobility. She has a Strafe skill which allows her to fire a seeking arrow while sprinting, and a Blink skill which allows her to teleport forward and disappear momentarily. Her more powerful abilities include the Laser Glaive, which sends out a seeking glaive that can bounce between different enemies for a time, and Arrow Rain, which sends a hail of arrows down on a specific area.

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While playing as the Huntress, pick up items that give her more health and therefore increase her chances of survival. Also be sure to pick up items that will increase the damage she deals, such as the Soldier's Syringe.

4 MUL-T

MUL-T is fairly easy to unlock, requiring players to go through the first teleporter event five times. That means a player must start the game and go through the first teleporter five separate times. Once MUL-T is in your hands, you won't regret having gone through the motions so often. MUL-T is a squat little tank that pairs a large pool of hit points with maneuverability.

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MUL-T's skills showcase his utility. He has a Transport skill that allows him to zoom forward in a burst of speed with increased armor and the ability to damage enemies along the way. He also possesses an Auto-Nailgun and Rebar Puncher, which makes MUL-T a character with two Primary Skills. The Auto-Nailgun is a rapid-fire weapon, whereas the Rebar Puncher is a single, high-damage hit. He also comes with Blast Canisters, which can stun groups of enemies for a short time.

If you want to make your MUL-T a force to be reckoned with, pair him up with items that increase his damage. The Crowbar is the perfect item to pair with MUL-T's Rebar Puncher, especially if you want to deal a ton of damage to a large enemy in the beginning moments of the fight.

3 Engineer

The task necessary to unlock the Engineer only sounds daunting. You must clear 3o areas in the game. However, it is not necessary that you clear these areas in a single game. All you need to do is clear 30 areas over the course of your time with the game. Once you have, the volatile Engineer will be yours.

The Engineer is a treasure trove of skills for strategic players to fiddle around with. He comes with Bouncing Grenades that can deal a decent amount of damage as his primary skill. He can also lay out Pressure Mines, which can assist in giving him and his co-op buddies some breathing room. A Bubble Shield and Gauss Auto-Turret complete the picture of a character that is all about defense. If you stick around with some of your more offense-oriented co-op companions, your team can push through to some of the harder stages.

Any items that can assist your Skills are a mega plus for this character. For example, an Alien Head will reduce the cooldown on your abilities, which can mean the difference between moving on to the next area and perishing.

2 Mercenary

In order to unlock the Mercenary, players need to stumble upon a Celestial Portal. Once inside, there is an Obelisk at which players need to "sacrifice" themselves upon. If they do that, the Mercenary will be available to them. Unfortunately, finding a Celestial Portal is an event that may be left up to chance. If you see one, be sure to take advantage of the situation and go on through.

The Mercenary has proven to be one of the most fun characters to mess around with since he is a melee-oriented character. This has its drawbacks, though, since that means you have to get up close and personal with enemies in order to damage them. His main skills are a Laser Sword and a Whirlwind, both of which involve slicing up an enemy for increased damage. The Mercenary can also perform a Blinding Assault, which is a forward dash that can damage enemies in his path. Players can use his Eviscerate skill to target a single enemy without taking damage for the duration of the attack.

Be sure to pick up health items in the early game, things like Leeching Seeds, since the Mercenary, like the Huntress, is a tad squishy in the beginning. However, unlike the Huntress, the Mercenary constantly finds himself up in the face of his enemies, so health is of paramount importance.

1 Artificer

The Artificer requires a Lunar Coin in order to unlock him. Once you have one in your possession, you must then find your way to a Newt Shrine. After that, you have to defeat the teleporter boss in order to reach a portal that transports you to where the Artificer is located. Once you get there, be sure to have ten more Lunar Coins in your pocket, as you will need to spend them all to unlock the Artificer from his prison.

The Artificer deals more damage to enemies than any other character currently available. However, his skills are more reserved than those of the other characters. It is critical that you save the Artificer's Flame Bolt for special occasions since you only have four at your disposal. The Charged Nano-Bomb deals a large amount of damage over an equally large area, and the Flamethrower deals ridiculous damage to enemies in front of the Artificer. The Snapfreeze, a wall that freeze enemies caught behind it, makes for great crowd control as well.

As with the Huntress, pick up items that increase your chances of survival by improving your health or your armor. Also, anything that increases the Artificer's damage dealt to enemies is a no-brainer. Though an arduous process, try unlocking the Artificer and adding him to your roster of characters for this fantastic shooter.

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